We incarcerate the people that have fallen through the gaps
Of this broken system,
stuck in the traps of the laws that were built
to keep 'their kind' away

Boop bee doo bee doo boop

It's just another opportunity to destroy the communities
of certain groups, while handing impunity.
To rich white men, who're the ones that are usually
Causing all the harm.


These cages won't keep our streets safe,
When the violence comes from the hands of the state
How can locking someone in a cage
Ever bring about positive change

These cages won't keep our streets safe,
When the violence comes from the hands of the state
We don't need reform, we need abolition
Build communities, burn the prisons


Prisons have always failed from the start of it
Rehabilitation was never at the heart of it
It's all about punishments, not about justice
Locking people up will always be destructive

But we keep on ploughing on with this system
Crime rates haven't dropped, in fact they've risen
So what do they do? They build more prisons,
and create new laws so that they can fill them

These cages won't keep our streets safe,
When the violence comes from the hands of the state
How can locking someone in a cage
Ever bring about positive change

These cages won't keep our streets safe,
When the violence comes from the hands of the state
We don't need reform, we need abolition
Build communities, burn the prisons

But does this really work in all cases?
What about keeping us safe from the rapists?
What about keeping crime off our streets?
Don't we need prisons for that at least?

Rape cases see few arrests and convictions
Never focus on actually supporting the victims
The majority of street crime's routed in inequality
And just a product of our racist economy

These cages won't keep our streets safe,
When the violence comes from the hands of the state
How can locking someone in a cage
Ever bring about positive change

These cages won't keep our streets safe,
When the violence comes from the hands of the state
We don't need reform, we need abolition
Build communities, burn the prisons

There's racism every step of the way
From the courts to the judges that put people away,
The teachers and the schools and the welfare systems
The cops and the juries and the guards in the prison

This system's rigged and it's in my favour
I'm less likely to be caught out for my behaviour
To be stopped and searched, arrested or served time,
Than my black counter part would for the same crime

We need to tear down these walls and create a system
That doesn't profit from destruction and create decision
We need to tear down these walls
They won't tear down themselves
We don't want your cops, your laws, your courts, your prisons!